


Road to Ashes

by Timeforelfnonsense



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 14:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18122279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timeforelfnonsense/pseuds/Timeforelfnonsense
Summary: A collection of stories leading up to Ashalle Lavellan's arrival at the Temple of Sacred Ashes.Still a work in progress!Originally posted Monday, 25 June 2018





	1. Chapter 1

A warm breeze whipped Ashalle’s silvery blonde hair around her face. She ran a delicate, calloused hand though it, tucking it behind her ear. The clan had made camp a ways outside one of a human settlement. Her mother had something about trading the clan’s pelts and game for spiced wine and coin. She walked over to one of the halla, scratching his head as he nipped at the bell of her sleeve.

“Ashalle!”

The shout startled her companion who dashed off towards the rest of the herd.The voice belonged to Eliovron, a boy of 18, face still raw from his blood writing. He had hunted beside her on a few occasions, he was young and foolish but she liked him well enough. He was running toward her, blond curls bouncing all around his face still round with baby fat.

“What is it Eliovron!? You startled a halla, don’t you know that’s bad luck da'len?” 

He had made his way to her now, panting and red faced.

“I-I’m sorry, but Keeper wanted to see you. She told me to come find you as soon as I could. It sounded important!”

Ashalle sucked in a sharp breath, letting it out in a frustrated sigh. Fenedhis, what had she done now?

“Did she tell you why she wanted to see me?” She inquired as she started to bounce anxiously on the balls of her bare feet.

“No, sorry. You’d better go, she sounded impatient.” 

Impatient, she thought, wonderful. She started the walk over to Deshanna’s aravel, the hem of her too long hand me down dress dragging the ground. She racked her brain for what it could be. Her last hunt had yielded many pelts and plenty of food, couldn’t be that. She had pickpocketed three coppers from a shem who told one of the merchants that the pelts were only worth four of the six coppers they were asking. She was positive no one had seen that. Could it have been about the elfroot she had stolen from the camps stores? It wouldn’t be the first time she had been scolded for that.

Deshanna was waiting outside the aravel, arms crossed and brows furrowed. Her long silver hair tied back and swaying behind her in the wind. Eliovron was right, she did look impatient.

“Myathash na, Keeper.” Ashalle bent her knee in a low bow, if she was upset perhaps formality would help smooth things over.

“Pfft, There is no need for that granddaughter. Though, now I wonder what you did to make you think I would require such a formal greeting?” Deshanna rolled her eyes, “Though I suppose it is of little importance at the moment. Come speak with me inside.”

Ashalle sat, now more confused than ever about why she had been called.

“Mamala, na nual?”

“I am ma da’len. The conflict between the mages and templars of the human cities has started to bleed into the country as you well know. I fear for what this might mean for the clan and our safety.”

She was right, more and more the clan had to move quickly as templars and mages squabble along the countryside. She remembered the face of a lad in her mother’s healer’s tent. He had been bloodied by a templar certain he was withholding information on apostates. She couldn’t bare the thought of what might have happened had she and small huntting band not found him. As soon as weapons had been drawn the templar had run knowing he was out mached. The clan ran that night for fear of retaliation. 

“Why do you sound like you have a plan Mamala?”

Her grandmother smiled and took Ashalle’s hands into her own.

“Don’t I always my dear?”

“How am I involved?”

“I am asking you spy on the meeting at the Temple of Sacred Ashes between the Divine and those involved in this shemlen war. Then you will return to us with word of what is to come. I can spare only one, maybe two hunters to travel with you.”

“I can do that. It shouldn’t be too hard, sneak past some shems in stealth and get some information, easy.” Ashalle squeezed her grandmother’s hands, locking eyes with her, “Thank you for trusting me to do this.”

All Elvhen is pieced together using the project elvhen lexicon 

Myathash na - honor you /honor to you

Mamala - Grandmother/Nana

na nual - you are troubled


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashalle's family reacts to the keeper's choice to send her to the conclave   
> Originally posted: Thursday, 28 June 2018

“How could you!? How dare you!”

The shouting in the middle of the camp was starting to draw a small crowd. Ashalle like the others had started to creep closer to see what the commotion was. She was greeted with the sight of her mother, shouting, red faced at her grandmother.

Fantastic, another family squabble made public.

“I am this clan’s keeper Fellenaste, and as you well know I make the choices I do for the sake of the clan.” Deshanna remarked cooly.

“My bondmate was taken from me, and now you would risk my child! Your own kin!”

“Mamae! Stop!” Ashalle pushed through the murmuring crowd to get to her shouting mother. 

“Honestly Fellenaste, is this necessary?” Deshanna continued, “The girl has had her marks for five years! She is hardly a child. You are making yourself look a fool.”

“Mamae, I want to do this let me do this.” Ashalle glanced over at her mother, her white hair stuck to her tear stained cheeks. “Mamae, I miss him too. So much, but I will come home. I want to help our family, our clan. Let me do this.”

“Ma da’len, I know you love the people, I know you love the clan but do not do this.” Her mother sobbed cupping Ashalle’s face in shaking hands. “This is no hunt da’len, this is the Chantry. The Keeper would send you to the wolves den and I will not risk the life of my only child.”

“Mamae, I will not be safe if we do not understand what comes of this meeting. None of us will be. I hate to leave, the clan is my whole world but I must. I will be safe, I won’t take any risks I promise.”

“Fine. I will allow it but know it breaks my heart to see you wander so far from me daughter.”

~~~~

“Ashalle” A voice called, offering a soft knock on the door of the aravel she and her mother shared.

“Come in,” She shouted back.

The door opened with a low creek and her mother’s sister Dalinev ducked into the aravel. Her face is a sympathetic smile, long silver hair tied up in a messy bun.

“Are you packing de’len?” Dalinev asked taking a seat on the bed.

“Yes. I’m not quite sure what to bring. I’m used to having a whole aravel when I travel.”

Dalinev took one of the light blue, cotton shirts sitting on the bed and started folding it.

“Perhaps I can help. Tell me Ashalle, how are you feeling about this?” Dalinev asked placing the top into Ashalle’s pack.

“The keeper does me a great honor. I’m glad she trusts me.”

“You cut that wolf shit, speak to me as Dalinev, not as first to the keeper. I heard about mother and Fellenaste, they have always loved a good spat.”

“Creators, I don’t know,” Ashalle grubbled, hands covering her face as she flopped down on the bed next to her aunt. “I want to go, I want to help the clan.”

“But?”

“But, I hate to leave. I’ve never been so far from the clan and my poor Mamae. She was so upset, so afraid of losing me.”

Dalinev nodded her head and though for a moment before speaking.

“You know why I think my sister was so drawn to becoming a spirit healer? It’s because she loves to take care of people, you most of all dear.She will be fine, she just needs to learn to let you live your own life. As for leaving the clan, you will return to us will you not? It won’t be as bad as you think and Deshanna doesn’t plan to send you alone.”

Ashalle sighed and placed her head on her aunts shoulder. She had always been close to Dalinev, she was sharp tongued and clever like her grandmother. Yet kind and perceptive like her own mother.

“ Ma serannas, Dali, you always know what to say. You will be a great keeper one day.”

Dalinev laughed and tossed the tan breaches she had been folding at Ashalle.

“Now you are just sucking up! I’ll remember that when I’m in charge.”


End file.
